Minister Dempsey Launches New "Bioenergy Action Plan" For Ireland

Among the commitments promised by the government are:

• By 2020 a third of all electricity consumed in Ireland will come from renewable sources, for example from wind, tidal, or solar;
• All peat electricity power stations will be co-fired with 30% renewable material by 2015, leading to CO2 savings of 900,000 tonnes per year;
• 12% of all residential and commercial heating will be powered by renewable sources (for example wood chips or solar energy) by 2020;
• Within 12 months building regulations will be reviewed to raise the energy efficiency of all new homes by at least 40%;
• By 2009 a new biofuel obligation will mean that all petrol and diesel will have on average a 5.75% biofuel mix, leading to CO2 savings of 770,000 tonnes per year;
• All new buses in the public fleet will use a biofuel blend of at least 30%;
• New energy efficient designs for schools (which are described as being over two times more energy-efficient than international normal standards) will be piloted in 40 new schools with a view to a national roll out thereafter;
• A new programme of efficiency measures including mandatory use of energy efficient lighting in hospitals, offices and other public buildings will be introduced with immediate effect.

Speaking at the launch of the Action Plan, Noel Dempsey T.D., the Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources, stressed the importance of the decision to tackle renewable energy policy in an integrated and holistic manner.

"We recognised early that the transport, heat and electricity sectors are almost equal in the amount of energy they use and the CO2 emissions they produce," he said.

"In this plan we set out clear, cross department strategies to deal with each of these sectors.

"The end result will be CO2 savings in the region of 2 million tonnes a year. This is extremely good news for the environment."

The government claims that by setting ambitious targets the Bioenergy Action Plan will lead to the development of a significant home-grown renewable energy sector which will also provide benefits to rural economies by creating new jobs in new industries and having the potential to open massive opportunities for Irish agriculture and forestry with the production of fuel producing crops.

"Since the launch last year of the Greener Homes scheme and the Power of One campaign I have been struck by the strong public appetite for increased energy efficiency. For our part in Government, we will continue our drive to empower the entire community to play a role in the development of a more sustainable energy economy in Ireland," the Minister concluded.